The Avengers: Next Generation
by YaoiontheMind
Summary: After the battle in New York, the Avengers go back to their own lives and further continue their superhero legacies. These legacies are then passed down to their children, who have their own problems to face. *Has nothing in common with the second Avengers movie* Rated T mostly for language and Tony Stark's innuendos.
1. Prologue

"Daddy, daddy, come play with me," Torunn shouted. The seven year old began to tug on her father's t-shirt, trying in vain to make him move.

"Tori, daddy has been playing with you all morning. Let him rest," her mother, Jane, explained. In Jane's lap, another girl looked up from her book at her sister's crest fallen face.

"I am sorry, my little one, but your mother is right," Thor told her, patting her head.

Tori sat down keeping her eyes on the grass that covered Central Park. The sun was bright this Saturday afternoon, creating a perfect opportunity for the god of thunder to take his family to enjoy the fresh air. Tori fidgeted in her position, switching from swaying side to side to rocking back and forth. All with a pout plastered on her face.

"Mom," Tori moaned, "I'm so bored. I want to go play."

"Go ahead then."

"Not by myself! I'll be even more bored then." She fell back into the grass, crossing her arms in annoyance. Thor could only smile at the little girl who closely resembled him from her golden hair and bright blue eyes to her wide, toothy smile.

He could see Jane trying to hold back her laughter while hugging their other daughter, Frigga. At the moment, Frigga was hiding behind her long black bangs pretending to read a book, years beyond her age's level, and attempting to ignore her sister's complaining. However, Thor could see her small eyes glancing at the blonde.

Frigga was just like his mother, whom she was named after. She was a smart girl with a loving and caring heart, especially for her little sister. It made his heart heavy to remember his mother, but to see that someone in the family had inherited her wit and demeanor brought him closure every day that he saw her smiling face.

After a few more minutes of quietly watching her sister, he saw Frigga close her novel, leave her mother's lap, and offer her hand to Tori. The younger looked at her questioningly.

"Let's go play, sister," Frigga said softly. Tori smiled at the offer and grabbed the outstretched hand, pulling her sister along.

As he watched his two girls dance and play together, Thor noticed Jane move towards him. He planted a kiss on her forehead. Together they looked over the two, hearing them laugh and share secrets that only children could have.

"Thor, when do we tell her?" she asked him. He tensed for a moment then sighed.

"We will not."

Jane looked at him, surprise evident on her face. They both looked at the girls again. Tori was pretending to be a spy, while Frigga just enjoyed the show, her smile wide with glee. The ravenette glanced back at her parents and jokingly rolled her eyes at the other girl, who tackled her soon after for the action.

"This life with us and Torunn is what is best for her. We will not tell a soul and see to it that she does not find out any other way."

Jane nodded, kissed him, and joined her daughters. As Thor stood to go with her, he noticed a slim figure in a tailored black suit with a long green scarf standing a few meters away from him. The stranger's sleek black hair was blown back to reveal his emerald eyes which were looking at Thor's family. The thunderer's breath caught in his throat.

Noticing that someone was staring at him, the man met Thor's gaze. The god of thunder noticed the other's eyes flicker toward the girls again then back at him. With a sad smile, the dark haired man nodded and made his way out of the park. Jane noticed the exchange and jogged over to the blonde.

"Thor, was that…"

"Loki…"


	2. Chapter 1

"Tori, will you please get out of the bathroom soon? Other people need to get ready for the day too," Jane yelled from behind the kitchen counter. She set out four plates then returned one back to the cupboard before she divided out the breakfast she made. With scrambled eggs, pancakes and bacon all on the plates before her, she moved to the fridge and grabbed the orange juice that her daughters said was 'the perfect complement to her cooking.'

"Young lady, you have one minute to get down here," she shouted again. Grabbing two of the plates she moved them to the small dining table they had squeezed into the corner of the kitchen. Even with a family of four, a house in New York was out of the question so Jane opted for upgrading from her small apartment to a flat which better accompanied the extra number of people.

"Good morning, mother." Without even turning, Jane could tell which one of her daughters had entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, Frigga," Jane replied giving her a smile. Frigga grabbed the last plate on the counter and sat down, digging into the meal. Jane joined her soon after, giving up on the idea that she might be able to jump into the shower before having to go to the office.

Jane glanced at the girl seated in front of her. Her eighteen year old daughter was as beautiful as always with her black hair tossed over her shoulders and her emerald eyes already bright with life although it only being half past six in the morning.

"So did you manage to get into the bathroom before your sister?" Jane asked taking a bite of pancake.

"Only to brush my teeth and grab a comb. I was promptly kicked out after," Frigga replied, sipping her juice, "I see you didn't get up early enough to beat her though."

"I know, bad miscalculation on my part, believe me. Really, though, she's been in there for almost over an hour."

"Sixty-three minutes to be exact, not like I'm counting or anything," Frigga smiled. She took the last bite of her eggs and grabbed the two pieces of bacon from her plate before placing the dish in the sink. "I've got to go. Howard wants to meet up a few minutes before I have to go to school. He said something about a new addition to the Iron Man suit."

She turned for the door then quickly back tracked and gave her mom a kiss. "Thanks for breakfast. Love you, bye!"

Jane watched her as Frigga swung her messenger bag over her head and heard the click of the door opening and closing again. Although she was no Stark, Jane always believed that Frigga got her smarts from her. The ravenette always wanted to be read to when she was younger and as soon as she could understand how to read for herself, Frigga took it upon herself to read any and every book she could get her little hands on.

While she did not share Jane's love of science, the young girl had always done well in school with straight A's every year and had an unbelievable amount of knowledge on mythology from all cultures. With that and her love of fictional novels, Frigga was always considered a nerd and came home crying because of the girls that teased her in middle school. No one could convince her otherwise, except for Howard. Somehow the fourteen year old at the time was able to convince Frigga, who was twelve, that she was just being herself and that she shouldn't get upset over what others thought about her.

"She's got it bad for him don't you think, mom?" A voice came from the hallway. Jane looked at Tori who came and sat down next to her at the table.

"Those two have always been friends," Jane replied.

"Yeah and he obviously has the hots for her too. Just ask Sam," the blonde began to stuff her face, "Those two should just admit it and get together already."

"We are talking about your sister. She just likes to take things slow and see how they progress."

"Maybe," Tori huffed in annoyance, "but she better speed it up and quick. There are plenty of girls who would throw themselves at Howard Stark's feet."

"Speaking of speeding up, what took you so long in the bathroom this morning?"

"Bad hair day is all."

Jane rolled her eyes. "For the fourth time this week?"

"This," she said pointing to her face, "doesn't happen naturally."

"Other people live here too, Tori."

"Ok, ok, tomorrow you can get the bathroom first. I'll even go beyond and let Frigga go before me too. Better?" Tori asked her.

"It's a start." Jane sipped her coffee. After a few minutes of silence between the two, Tori put her fork down.

"When is dad coming back this time?" she asked quietly. Jane tried to look at her eyes, but Tori kept her head down with her focus on her half eaten pancakes. Out of all the questions that Jane hated to answer this was the worst by far.

"I'm not sure. You know how busy he is with his work."

"It's already been a month, though, that should have been plenty of time. I don't see why he had a family if he can't even be here." Tori sighed.

"Firstly, you've been hanging out with Darcy way too much. Second, you know that your dad doesn't like being away from you or your sister. We all miss him and he misses us."

The blonde ran her hand through her hair, allowing some of it to fall into her face and narrowly missing the syrup on her plate. She was the spitting image of Thor. Beautiful blonde hair that had grown with age that seemed to effortlessly cascade down her back and big, vibrant blue eyes that were always alive and happy. Except for during conversations like this. She was daddy's little girl, a title she gladly accepted.

It hurt Jane to see her daughter like this, but there wasn't anything she could do, nothing any of them could do, to bring Thor back when he was off in one of the other nine realms. At times like this there was only one thing she could do, something she wished someone would have done those two years when Thor first left. She stood up behind Tori and hugged her. The teen didn't move but Jane could feel the tension in her shoulders begin to relax.

"We've still got each other, and your dad wouldn't want us to dwell on him being gone but enjoy those we have now," Jane whispered, kissing the top of Tori's head.

"Yeah…" That was always the reply she gave but she turned and gave Jane a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, mom."

Jane just nodded. Returning back to her seat and her half cup of coffee, Jane watched her daughter finish her breakfast and run back to her room for her shoes and backpack. Just like Frigga, Tori gave her a kiss, said 'love you', and was out the door.

Then, just like for the past month, Jane was left in their empty little flat. Tori was right it had been a month since he had been back, and, although Frigga might not mention it as much, Jane could tell that both of her daughters were being affected by his absence. Even she had grabbed one too many plates this morning. It had seemed normal for a while, when the twins were young and innocent and carefree. Then when they all needed him most, apparently the other realms did too. Jane shook her head hard.

Before she could dwell on the loneliness any longer, Jane took the empty dishes to the sink, grabbed her coat and shoes, and made her way to the door just like her daughters. She glanced back at her shoulder, hoping that someone else would come from the hallway, but shook her head at the ridiculous thought.

"Please come home safely," she whispered then locked the door and headed to where Darcy would be meeting her.


	3. Chapter 2

As the wind whipped at her face, Frigga tried to jog through the crowds on the busy New York streets. Finding the action unnecessary, since she wasn't moving any faster than those walking around her, she took a side alley that she knew would take her the long around way to her destination. It didn't matter where you were in the city, you could always see Stark tower, fueled by its clean energy and bright lights even after being destroyed twenty three years ago. However, despite always being able to see it, getting to the building was another thing altogether.

"I don't understand why I always seem to think that it's closer than it really is," Frigga said aloud. She tightened her grip on her bag and began to jog again.

It was times like these that she appreciated the hours of practice she had been forced to go through her freshman year when she was a part of the track team. Even as a senior, she made it a point to go running every afternoon through the park where she and her sister had always played at when they were little kids, and, in return, she had kept her toned legs and great stamina. She never had been fast.

After another fifteen minutes, five minutes longer than her original path would have taken her without traffic, Frigga was slightly panting in front of the double, glass doors that opened to the reception area. Her boots clacked on the white tile floor as she approached the desk at the back of the open room. A few people who were waiting in the sitting area glanced at her then returned to reading their newspapers or finishing their coffee from Starbucks.

She gave a small smile to the receptionist when she reached the desk.

"Hello, Mrs. Patrick, how are you today?" Frigga asked. The middle aged, blonde receptionist had been hired since the tower's reconstruction.

"I'm doing very well, Ms. Frigga. Mr. Stark is waiting for you. The usual floor. Jarvis will let you in," she replied, then pointed at the elevator before returning to her computer.

"Thank you."

After entering the elevator, Frigga noticed her wind destroyed hair and the perspiration that was still evident on her forehead. Gasping slightly, she combed her fingers through her black locks and wiped the back of her turtleneck sleeve across her face. After fixing everything and brushing away invisible dirt on her jeans, the elevator stopped with a ring announcing her arrival.

"Hello, Frigga," an invisible voice greeted her.

"Hey, Jarvis, how are things going around here?"

"Nothing unusual. Mr. Stark is in his lab. Shall I tell him of your arrival?"

"No, I'll take care of it."

"If you insist, if you need anything please tell me. Have a good day, Frigga."

"You too Jarvis, thank you." She giggled before taking the usual path.

She found the boy genius surrounded by floating holographic screens with formulas and schematics strewn about the room, completely oblivious to her presence. Although the twenty one year old had his mother's personality and work ethic, he was the spitting image of his father with his short, dark hair and dark eyes which were currently focused on a blueprint in his hands. He was the tallest of his family, coming from recessive genes somewhere on his mom's side, and even had a few inches on Frigga herself.

"Why is this not coming out right?" Howard muttered to himself.

"You didn't pull this equation's answer over to here," Frigga said, pointing out the mistake on the paper.

"You have got to be kidding me," he muttered, hiding his face in the paper. Frigga giggled at the childish action and peeled the sheet from his hands and face looking it over for herself.

"And good morning to you, too, sunshine," she said glancing at him. She knew for a fact that Howard had not slept all night evident by the bags under his eyes and his pale complexion. "Have you eaten anything yet?"

"Does coffee count?"

"Howard," Frigga said with a sigh, "how many times have we had this conversation? Sleep and food are necessary in order for humans to survive."

"I'm always around robots so I sometimes forget that I am human," the genius said with a smile. Frigga rolled her eyes and, noticing the couch behind Howard, gave him a hard enough shove to send him falling backwards. "Whoa! Frigga, what…"

"You stay," she said cutting him off, "I'm going to go find something for you to eat, and no, another cup of coffee will not get you through the day."

"Frigga…" Howard started, sitting up in the process.

"No." With that last statement, Frigga left the room, hearing a soft thud as Howard succumbed to her wishes and fell back onto the couch, like he always did.

The lower levels of Stark Tower was designed to hold hundreds of offices and meeting rooms. The upper levels, on the other hand, were for Tony's pleasure only with which he shared with Howard when he got old enough. Now an adult, Howard had inherited a whole floor to himself which he redesigned to serve as a living quarters as well as his workshop.

In his tiny kitchen, Frigga threw some bread into the toaster on the counter. After setting the controls on the toaster, she moved to the fridge and grabbed the orange juice and strawberries that she knew would be on the top shelf. Howard always had strawberries and orange juice and he always kept them in the same place since he moved in. She poured the orange juice, cut the tops off of the strawberries, and grabbed the toast that popped out of the toaster then placed it all onto a tray which she quickly carried to Howard.

Upon her return, Frigga found him sound asleep cuddling a throw pillow on the couch. His brown hair was disheveled and his mouth was slightly open as he snored softly. Frigga smiled to herself as she placed the tray on a table and seated herself on the couch's armrest. He was like a little kid. A cute kid hidden inside of a cute adult.

She blushed after thinking that last thought. The day he or his father created a mind reading device would be the end of her. Of course practically every girl on the planet was after him. He was smart, handsome, and dedicated above all else. He was the whole package and lots of girls wanted to unwrap it. Unfortunately, she could, technically, be considered a part of that group. Not that she wanted all of his attention…well, perhaps she did want it, but she didn't need it at the extremeness that the masses did. No, she was just content being near him. Seeing the different sides of him, the ones he hid from the public eye, was enough for her.

Or at least that's what she told herself.

Sighing, she checked her watch; she had twenty minutes to get to school. After figuring that she was bound to run into traffic, she picked up her bag, gave one more glance over her shoulder at the sleeping figure, then headed for the elevator, giving Jarvis an order to forward all calls to the machine and to practically lock down Howard's floor at least until ten o'clock.

She had been in the elevator for two floors before it stopped and opened. In front of her was the other Stark child: Samantha Stark.

"Well hey there, Frigga," the strawberry blonde greeted her cheerfully.

"Good morning, Sam. Running a little late today?" Frigga asked while she once again pushed the button for the first floor.

"Nope, I always leave around this time when I'm not meeting up with Tori or Sarah for coffee."

Although she looked like her mother, Sam Stark was her father through and through, even adopting her father's quote of being a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. The fifteen year old was currently a sophomore in high school, deciding to skip only two grades rather than four, and making her only two years under Tori and Frigga.

"So what were you doing here so early?"

"Howard texted me to come by this morning to see something he finished testing."

"Riiiiight." Sam gave her a look then left the elevator as it opened to the lobby.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Frigga asked her once they got outside. The sidewalks were now packed with people and both girls were caught up with the flow of the traffic as they walked to school.

"Puh-lease, my brother hasn't made anything new in almost a three weeks. He keeps tinkering with this one idea but it hasn't even hit prototype stage yet, just equations and blueprints."

"And that has to do with me because…?"

Sam gave her another look, this one that seemed to scream 'you are the stupidest person on earth.' "Oh god, Tori was right. You two are made for each other," the younger girl muttered to herself and began to walk faster.

"What? Wait, Sam! Hey, wait up!"


End file.
